Counting my blessings

I've been thinking after last night's hole-up and realised I have been wallowing in self-pity and unpleasant emotions... Sometimes it just gets to me, nights. Sorry about that. I should have been more grown-up (mature, independent, strong, something along these lines) than that! I mean, ya, sometimes one (me) misses home, family and friends terribly, and thus fall into the trap of feeling sorry for oneself. But when I start thinking about things carefully, God has been good to me, very good in fact. I should be counting my blessings instead.

For one, I am here. ^_^

Second: I think I have the best landlord and landlady ever!!! Totally not exaggerating here. I've always felt they are very nice to me (dunno why I never thought to write about them before). But since reading Anantya's entries about her landlord and the gf, I've started to appreciate them more. Although it's a little different from Anantya's case, in that I don't live in the same place as my landlord and landlady, which might make it easier on the getting along part. But they have very often helped me when I needed help or asked for help which they didn't have to bother to. Once, when I was hurt (quite bad, physically) and at the definite lowest point of my stay here, they asked me over to their place (in a building across the street from me) so I don't have to be alone and were so very kind to me. They showed me pictures of when they were young (My landlady was a beauty! She still is, albeit much older. Landlord with full head of hair was nice-looking too.), their sons (elder son, a pilot like his dad, married with cute wife and kids, younger one, extremely cute! Captain in the marine, not yet married, though has a lovely gf *Aww* hee.), pictures of old old Singapore (they were often there in the 60's - 80's cos' my landlord was a pilot with Air France then) where Orchard Road did not look at all like it now. :) There are so many nice things they did for me that I can't even write all of them down. One time, she brought me upstairs to another apartment they have in the same building on the highest level (7th floor. That's about as high as you get with the ancient buildings in Paris) so I could get a view of the Effiel Tower from there. The second time, she just left me the keys to go up on my own. One proof of how well-loved they are is that they have tenants coming back every year to rent their apartments for holidays. And for the regulars, they leave presents in the apartments for them before they arrive. So sweet right? =) And I got a box of chocolates from them last X'mas (which was after I moved in not too long) too.

I will be cooking a Chinese dinner for them before I leave. *crossing my fingers and praying hard that the food will be ok* Am a little worried since so far, I've only cooked for people close to me (read: people who would eat and pretend that the food is good even if it's not). Ha.

Three: My French colleagues are the best one can ever have. I mean, sure, sometimes we all have our disagreements and stuff, but they have been so awfully patient and nice with me. I've mentioned before that my supervisor is a good person to work with. Then there's the colleague who owns tons of dvds and lends them to me. Another colleague has offered to let me stay in her place after my housemate (remember that disgusting guy I talked about before?) leaves. Since he is leaving before I do, I have to find another place as I can't afford to stay in the apartment I am in now on my own. It's difficult to find a place to rent just for a few weeks so she told me she has an extra room at her place and I could stay with her if I want to and don't mind the distance (her place is about 1 1/2 hours by metro & train from Paris). And she refused to take rent from me!

Whoever said the French are not nice and unfriendly and stuff? If that's true then I must have met 'unFrenchly' French. I will sure miss these wonderful people when I go back!!!

God has blessed me with these angels (+ the friends and family back home who remind me that I am missed) and I am very grateful to Him. :D

Something else I'm thankful for: I've said a while ago that I've not heard back from the GSK people (since mid-august) after I said I won't be back till Nov. And I was not expecting to hear anything from them anymore. But just last week, the team leader emailed me to ask if I was still interested in the position and that he could conduct a phone interview first and after I return, a formal interview. Yay!!! What a surprise!

The basic things like, I am healthy, have food to eat, a roof over my head, a job (up till Oct then I would have to scramble to look for another).

So many people & things in my life to be grateful/thankful for, I cannot justify my wallowing. And to think of the people who are affected by natural disasters and other horrible stuff, I feel so sad for them and at the same time, whatever problems I have start to seem so minute and childish and trivial...